Player Profile: Raymond Felton

ACQUISITION DETAILS: Per an obscure South Carolina news report, mind you, the Knicks acquired Felton on or about July 14, 2012, and simulatenously set Linsanity ablaze. (Felton technically acquired in a sign-and-trade with the Portland Trailblazers.)

WHAT TO EXPECT OFFENSIVELY: The 29-year-old Felton is a solid offensive point guard with better than average ball handling skills. He is adept at both running the pick-and-roll and getting baskets for himself off the dribble. Though he isn’t a great shooter, Ray-Ray was certainly adequate last year in his second go-round with the Knicks, making 42% of his shots from the field and 36% from three en route to 13.9 points and 5.5 assists per game. It should be noted that Felton struggled through a variety of injuries (including to his hands) that caused him to miss fourteen games.

Coming into last season, most Knicks fans were probably expecting the Ray Felton who once excelled alongside Danilo Gallinari under Mike D’Antoni, but Ray 2.0 didn’t quite achieve that level of performance. Sure, the “bulldog” point guard was far from a disappointment – Felton more or less matched his career averages – but it was an an up-and-down campaign, to be sure. For every highlight (like his 26 point outburst which led the ‘Melo-less to a blowout win over the Heat in Miami), there was a lowlight (capped by his 0-for-7, two point invisiblity act when New York was eliminated by the Pacers in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinals). From a pure optics perspective, fans were also probably none too thrilled by Felton’s inability to lead the Knicks to victory against Jeremy Lin and the Rockets in two head-to-head matchups. Not that he was necessarily to blame, but in this town, how things look are sometimes more important than how things are.

Interestingly, Felton was extremely comfortable playing alongside second point guards Jason Kidd and Pablo Prigioni in 2012-13, flexibility he will no doubt need to reprise, with the newly signed Beno Udrih replacing Kidd (who went…somewhere…to do something). Felton’s bread and butter, however, remains his pick-and-roll prowess, especially with Tyson Chandler.

Ultimately, assuming he is healthy, you know what you are getting with Ray running your offense: adequate, if not inspiring, floor leadership, the ability to feed his big men with vertical pick-and-roll after vertical pick-and-roll, and a knack for big shots from the perimeter. If Felton can just be a tad more consistent with his shot-making, coach Mike Woodson and Knicks fans should be pleased.

WHAT TO EXPECT DEFENSIVELY: The Knicks’ ”life’s-a-switch-and-then-you-die” defensive strategy makes it difficult to hold their players individually accountable, but last season Felton was regularly abused by the opponents he was matched up against. (In fairness to Ray, his defensive contribution should be considered more holistically. After all, the Knicks surrendered 4.4 points per 100 possessions fewer with Felton on the court than they did with him off of it.) That said, a quick peek at the ledger isn’t kind. 54 points from Steph Curry, 41 from Kyrie Irving, 37 from Russell Westbrook and 33 from John Wall can be explained, given their pedigrees, but when you also allow Jeff Teague, Mike Conley and Jrue Holiday (three times) to eclipse the 25 point mark, it’s more pattern than an abberation. Again, opposing PG production hasn’t all come at Felton’s expense, of course, but to deny that Ray struggles when matched up with quick guards is to deny reality. (And no, Felton’s cupcake intake isn’t responsible, either, he’s just limited by his size and his quickness can’t match the aforementioned players’. But, also, cupcakes. Mmm.)

Despite his difficulties with fast-twitch guards, Felton is a solid team defender who always plays with effort. He is eager and capable when guarding larger players where he can use girth to hold his own. If the Knicks can figure out a way to better scheme the opposition – perhaps by using J.R. Smith and/or Iman Shumpert to lock down opposing point guards as the matchup dicates – the dimunitive Felton should be just fine on the defensive end.

UNREASONABLY OPTIMISTIC SEASON PROJECTION: Felton plays in 75 games and matches his production from last year, averaging 13.5 PPG on 42% from the field (35% from three, 80% from the line), 6.2 APG and 3.0 RPG. Most importantly, though, he grows as a leader, filling the void left by Kidd’s departure. Felton’s ability to find newly acquired Andrea Bargnani in the corner out of pick-and-rolls with Chandler becomes a legitimate weapon for the Knicks, and he re-establishes his chemistry with Amar’e Stoudemire, helping STAT get integrated offensively and contribute double-digit points per game off the bench.

nigga u always talk about how u tryin to lose weight. Then wat u on then?

Elnino_201

them words never came out wtf is u smokin lol

Long.Live.A$AP

“supposedly” he trying to get muscle

Knickels n Dimes

hehe, oh yea I “forget”

Long.Live.A$AP

oh A-Roid suing Bud segil

Elnino_201

lmao arod suing “baseball”

Long.Live.A$AP

lmao one person against the whole organization

Elnino_201

i hope arod wins lol

Long.Live.A$AP

Baseball would look mad retarded

Elnino_201

word up lmao bud selig will retire lol

Long.Live.A$AP

he is in 2014

Elnino_201

good. tht nigga teeth yellow as hell

Long.Live.A$AP

smoking to much

Elnino_201

nigga said im on slim fast lmao

Knicks_11ThePoet

yo whats really

good though

Long.Live.A$AP

Preseason starting in 5 days

Knicks_11ThePoet

yeaa boi

Elnino_201

stfu

Knicks_11ThePoet

damn u got me

Knickels n Dimes

A$AP, ain’t this nigga tryin to lose weight?

Knicks_11ThePoet

………………….

Long.Live.A$AP

yeah

Knicks_11ThePoet

. “Obviously, I wasn’t close to myself, but I can’t even look at that. I have to look at it as motivation where I got my ass kicked, and next time I’m not going to let that happen,” Chandler said after practice Friday in Greenburgh.

theres hope for him

fellas

Knickels n Dimes

………………….

Elnino_201

live in the basement church pews n funeral faces cartier bracelets for ma women friends im in vegas

Knickels n Dimes

so u live in a basement church… in Vegas?

Elnino_201

ya niggas be hurtin feelings :’(

Long.Live.A$AP

im just trying to make it live

Knickels n Dimes

its ok, some women like chunky people

Elnino_201

i weigh 420 idk how ima lose this shit

Knickels n Dimes

yooo, I’m dyin

danny55885588

Wadd up ? Ohhhhohooooooooo

Long.Live.A$AP

wadd up bitter fool

Knicks_11ThePoet

waddup sucka

Elnino_201

…………….

Elnino_201

one lives in south dakota next door to big foot and the other one wishes there was a burger king around the corner from his house

somebody should smack the shit on prigioni when he dont shoot the ball n theres not a defender within a mile of him lol

KnicksTape

yooooo I hated that threw my remote at the tv

Elnino_201

“no no i dont want shot”

Long.Live.A$AP

when he wide opened its automatic

KnicksTape

prigioni be trolling us like imma about to shoot. nigga this aint no game lives are at stake here lol

Long.Live.A$AP

Prigs and Kidd couldn’t make a wide open layup for nothin

KnicksTape

kidd couldn’t shoot after april lmao sad

Elnino_201

yo prigioni puts his pivot foot behind the line as if hes bout to shoot but passes it wtf lmao he be mind fuckin all of us

KnicksTape

he gonna make some old ass knicks fan have a heart attack lol

Elnino_201

SHOOOT ITTT!!!!!!!!!!!1

Boberto

Hello my name is Pablo Prigioni and I pass up open shots for contested half court JR 3s. Usually my actions lead to 24 second shot clock violations. But white peple love me. And resigning me was their main offseason priority even tho we had no money

Knicks_11ThePoet

prigioni wide open for the layup..

he passes it back to james white..

MSG Crowd : “BOOO”"

lma0

Long.Live.A$AP

i remember when kidd had a wide open layup and he could of ended 6 games without scoring and he missed it i was dying

Knicks_11ThePoet

dude was 40 tho

KnicksTape

lmao I remember mad wide open too

Knicks_11ThePoet

i remember prigs during game 6 against boston

he hit those three pointers consistently

Boberto

Chris Hopeless 0-20 in the first round of the playoffs.. Who remembered when he bricked that 3 off the side of the backboard lmao

boberto went to church today and prayed giants get hurt like he does everyday

Elnino_201

he fell in love with the pacers care package and their cover of him on SI lol

Long.Live.A$AP

Copeland bc mike woodson was bullying all the time lmao

Knicks_11ThePoet

Did winning a championship with the Lakers make you hungrier to win a second ring? Metta World Peace: I always wanted to win multiple rings, but when you’re dysfunctional, you don’t have no advantages. Q: What do you mean? Metta World Peace: Like when your head is not in the game. I had a period of time for a couple of years where my head wasn’t in the game. And when you are out of the game mentally, you lose out on championships

THis ni99a crazy af. lol

KnicksTape

damn I hate how knicks make bums get shit load of money after 1 year of playing with us lol

Knicks_11ThePoet

thats that NY media

Knicks_11ThePoet

skylar diggins or

candace parker

?

KnicksTape

skylar not even close

Knicks_11ThePoet

lol who else looks decent on the WNBA

KnicksTape

nigga idk I don’t watch wnba

Elnino_201

can they fire coughlin at halftime lol

KnicksTape

lmao I think it’s about time we need a coaching change

Boberto

I aint a garbageman, im just garbage, MANNNNNNNNNNNN

- Chris Hopeless

KnicksTape

coughlin has run out of magic?

Elnino_201

i think his time is done lol

KnicksTape

boberto secretly sends fan letters to chris copeland under the name “stan” lmao

Boberto

I hear white bitches love black dudes up in SUNY Albany

Knicks_11ThePoet

sUNY albany is filled with mallu girls

DTF

Long.Live.A$AP

Who thinks they’re going to win 54 games again? Not I. The top half of the East is significantly more competitive, which means that the Knicks better get something out of Amar’e Stoudemireand Andrea Bargnani — as well as Metta World Peace and a full-strength Iman Shumpert — to keep up.- marc stein

KnicksTape

marc stein is a fat fucking rat

Long.Live.A$AP

nigga said not I

KnicksTape

lmao who talks like that

Knicks_11ThePoet

i posted this like last week.

but hes speaking the truth
IMO

Long.Live.A$AP

GTFOH and never comeback

Knicks_11ThePoet

u dont agree ? we aint going anywhere

if bargs, amare ,shump , metta dont produce.

wake up

Boberto

“Its a Queens thing doofy, this how we do, we rep our hood, goofy, how bout u”

those in NYC Knicks open practice sunday, october 20th 11am at Columbia University

Knickels n Dimes

“those in NYC’…. asshole…

KnicksTape

lmao it aint my fault you live in a cave in south dakota

Knicks_11ThePoet

does he really?

Knickels n Dimes

yea, its a nice little spot up in mt.Rushmore.. I live in George Washington’s nose wit bigfoot

Elnino_201

lmaoooo

KnicksTape

peyton has too many damn weapons

Knickels n Dimes

word

Knicks_11ThePoet

. “I read it, but at the same time nobody’s getting up with me at 7 a.m. to get here [to the Knicks practice facility] before anybody,” Smith said. “I’ll read it and I laugh at it. But then I laugh and I go downstairs to my gym at home. It’s a lot of motivation for me because all my life nothing has been easy for me because I’ve always been J.R.’s brother.” ESPN.com

Knickels n Dimes

………..

Long.Live.A$AP

A$AP!!!!!1

Elnino_201

uhhhhhhh

Knicks_11ThePoet

luddaa

KnicksTape

maybe eli should watch peyton game tapes lol

KnicksTape

lmao refresh.

Knicks_11ThePoet

……………………..

Knicks_11ThePoet

Josh Powell, Ike Diogu and Cole Aldrich are competing for one of the final spots on the New York Knicks’ regular season roster.

All three big men were signed to non-guaranteed contracts.

“One of them has a good chance to make it,” Mike Woodson said.

I say aldrich since hes over 7 feet, diogu could of been nice with our team though.

Elnino_201

smh at dat pic lol

largehrdsports

So Peyton Manning’s dimwitted younger brother sucked, again. What a surprise. The Gmen are my squad but it’s a damn shame Eli has two rings and is completely healthy but Peyton only has one and a suspect neck.

KnicksTape

these broncos are like the 07 pats might be even better

Elnino_201

fuck im suppose to do with all this new ass fck im suppose to do with all this new cash.. thousand dolla draws juss to hold ma balls.. all i ever do is let ma jewels sag